Automatic latch for sliding doors.



PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906.

Lmauenss. I AUTOMATIO- LATCH FOR SLIDING noons.

APPLICATION FILED JULYZB. 1905.

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JOHN RICHARD HUGHES, OF OHAMA, TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO,

ASSIGNOR TO J. R. HUGHES INVENTION TORY OF NEW MEXICO.

(10., OF GHA-MA, TERRI- AUTOIVIATI C LATCH FOR SLIDING DOORS- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 11, 1906.

Application filed July 26,1905. Serial No. 271,314.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that I, JO N RICHARD HUGHES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chama, in the county of Rio Arriba and Territory of New Mexico,have invented a new and Improved Automatic Latch for Sliding Doors, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to latches for doors; and it consists substantially in the details of construction and combinations of parts hereinaft er more particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

The invention has reference more especially to sliding doors (gates and the like) for cars, barns, warehouses, and similar structures; and one of the principal objects thereof is to provide a device of this kind which is automatic in operation and which is simple in its embodiment, easily applied and manipulated, and also comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and not liable to get out of order.

A further object is to provide an automatically-engaging latch for car-doors and the like which is entirely protected from accumulations about the same of dust and dirt or ice and snow and which is easy working, comparatively noiseless, besides being effective and reliable in use and possessing the capacity for long and repeated service.

The above and additional objects are attained by means substantially such as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of a part of a sliding door for cars and similar structures having my improvements embodied in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view in detail on the line 3 -3 of Fig. 4 of the guide in which the automatic ally-operating latch is pivotally mounted within the casing therefor, and Fig. 4 is an end view looking from the right of Fig. 3.

Before proceeding with a more detailed description it may be stated that in the form of my improvements herein shown I employ a casing for the latch of special construction, located within which are special means for mounting the latch within the casing for effective operation. The latch per se is also of special construction, and the same, tol gether with its mounting, is easily removable from the casing for any purpose desired.

Reference being had to the drawings by the designating characters thereon, 1 represents a portion of the side of a car or similar structure having therein an opening 2 to be closed by a sliding door 3, provided at the upper part thereof with one or more hangers 4, having means (not shown) slidably moving within a guide 5 therefor, mounted on the said side 1 at or somewhat above the upper edge of said opening.- The door may be of any preferred construction; but as herein shown the same is formed with a longitudinal slot 6, extending inwardly from the inner edge thereof, and secured thereto on opposite sides by means of bolts 7 or the like are the side members 8 and 9 of a casing 10, said side members being practically connected at 11 and the said casing constituting walls for the hereinbefore-mentioned slot 6 in the door. The said side member 8 of the casing is formed near to the inner vertical edge of the door with a longitudinal slot 12, and secured to the inner face of the said side member 9 and projecting toward the member 8 is a guide 14, having flanges 13, by which it is connected with the said side member 9. The guide has parallel side members extending from the flanges 13 and connected to one another by an arched portion. Between these side members 15 is pivoted at 16 the latch 15". One arm 17 of said latch is provided with a hook or engaging member 17*, normally proj ecting through the hereinb eforementioned slot 12 of the said side member 8 of the casing, while normally pressing upon the other arm 18 of the latch is a spring 19, held in position by projections 20 and 21 from the inner side of said guide 14 and adj acent side of the said arm 18 of the latch, respectively. This arm 18 is provided with substantially a right .angled manipulating member 22 for the latch, the outer end thereof being provided with a projecting thumbpiece 23 and the inner end thereof being provided with a corresponding thumb-piece 24, normally occupying a position substantially flush with the outer face of the hereinbeforementioned side member 9 of the casing. Secured to the side 1 of the car or other structure is a stop-plate for the door 3, formed with which is a catch or keeper plate 26 for the hook or member 17 a of the latch, it being apparent that whenever the door is carried to closed position the said hook or member 17 of the latch will be pressed and again thrown outwardly, so as to project through the slot 12 in the side member 8 of the casing and the corresponding slot 27 in the said catch or keeper plate 26. It will thus be seen that in order to release the door from engaged closed position it is simply necessary to grasp the thumb-piece 23 and ex ert an outward pull u on the manipulating member 22 for the late whereupon the hook or member 17 of the latter will be withdrawn within the casing, thus permitting the door to be carried backwardly for giving access to the interior of the car or structure through the said opening 2 in the side thereof, whereupon by releasing the said manipulating member the reaction of the spring 19 will again carry the latch to the first position occupied thereby. Should it be desired to similarly release the door from engaged closed position by an operator inside of the car or other structure, it will simply be necessary to push outwardly upon the thumbpiece 24., whereu on the release of the hook or member 17 a 0 the latch will be effected in a similar manner. In these movements of the latch it is apparent that the latch is evenly guided between the parallel members 15 of the hereinbefore-mentioned guide 14 for the latch, and from the construction and organization of the arts or elements shown and described it wilFbe noted that a strong and effective structure is obtained. Should it be desired at any time to remove the latch from the casing, it is simply necessary to first disconnect the latter from the door, as will be obvious, whereupon the fastenings for the guide for the latch may be likewise removed, said parts being thus rendered readily separable the one from the other.

While the parts are in operative relation with one another it is apparent that the operations of the latch and its adjuncts will not be interfered with in any manner by reason of any accumulations of dust and dirt or snow and ice, since they are effectually pro tected therefrom, as will be readily understood.

I lay no claim herein to the specific construction of the sliding door and appurtenances thereof, since the same are claimed in another a plication filed by me on the 26th day of Ju y, 1905, Serial No. 271,316.

It will be noted that the hook or member 17 f of the latch is provided with an opening 28, in which may be inserted the shackle of a lock or any other fastening device for securing the door in closed position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A latch for sliding doors, comprising a door formed with a slot extending inwardly from an edge thereof, a casing secured to op posite sides of the door and forming walls for said slot, one side of said casing having a slot therein, and a spring-controlled latch mounted within the casing and having an engaging member rigid therewith and normally projecting through said last-mentioned slot.

2. A latch for sliding doors, comprising a door formed with a slot extending inwardly from an edge thereof, a casing secured to 0pposite sides of the door and forming walls for said slot, one side of said casing having a slot therein, and a spring-controlled latch mounted within the casing and having an engaging member rigid therewith and normally proj ecting through said last-mentioned slot, said casing having coinciding openings therein and said latch having a member rigidly secured thereto and located within said openings for manipulating the latch from either side of the door.

3. A latch for sliding doors, comprising a door formed with a slot extending inwardly from an edge thereof, a casing secured to opposite sides of the door and forming walls for said slot, one side of the casing having a slot therein, a guide secured within the casing and an automatically-operating latch mounted within the guide, the operative end whereof normally projects through said last-mentioned slot.

4. A latch for sliding doors, door formed with a slot extending inwardly from an edge thereof, a casing secured to opposite sides of the door and forming walls for said slot, one side of the casing having a slot therein, a guide secured within the casing and an automatically-operating latch mounted within the guide, the operative end whereof normally projects through said last-mentioned slot, said guide having seated therein a spring bearing upon the latch.

5. A latch for sliding doors, com rising a casing for attachment to the door, aving a slot in a side thereof, a guide separate from the casing but being attached thereto, and a spring-controlled latch mounted in the guide, with the operative end thereof normally projecting through said slot.

6. A latch for sliding doors, comprising a casing adapted to fit in a slot of a door, said casing having a slot at one end in its side and registering openings in its sides at the other end, a guide secured in the casing, and a pivoted and spring-pressed latch in the guide and having a hook-shaped member at one end projectingthrough the slot of the casing and at its other end with a member located Within the openings of said casing.

comprising a Y IIS 7. A latch for a sliding door, comprising a one member of the latch haying a hook proname to this specification in the presence of jecting through the slot of the casing and the two subscribing Witnesses. other a right-angled member projecting into JOHN RICHARD HUGHES the openings of said casing, and a spring en- 1 5 gaging the latch to normally hold the hook Witnesses:

member in the said slot. THOMAS A. GRAHAM,

In testimony whereof I have signed my 1 C. W. ALLBEE. 

